Timeline: Angelica Watkins

Apr 6, 1981

Parents got married

Nov 27, 1984

My sister

The birth of my best friend and sister, Ashley.

Apr 4, 1989

Surprise!

My parents found out they were having their second child (me). Neither my mom nor her doctors thought she would be able to get pregnant again.

Nov 2, 1989

Birth

I was born 11/2/1989 at Sinai Grace Hospital.

Jul 2, 1990

First word

Spoke my first word, "daddy". The date is a rough estimate, but my mother knows I was eight months old.

Oct 2, 1990

Full sentences

Both my mom and aunt said I spoke full sentences by the time I was eleven months.

Nov 4, 1992

Pre-K

I begged to start school. This is how my mom potty trained me. She told me I couldn't go until I was fully potty-trained.

Aug 23, 1994

Kindergarten

Started kindergrten at age four at Golightly Educational Center

Mar 2, 1998

Trip to Jamaica

My father's health was declining but they wanted to do one last family trip. My immediate family and his siblings went to Jamaica for 5 days. It's one of my best memories with him.

Dec 23, 1999

Death of my father

My father was sick my entired childhood.

Dec 25, 1999

First Christmas without dad

Just two days after his death we had our first Christmas without him. It changed the holiday for us.

Sep 20, 2000

Grief counseling

Entered grief counseling with my mom and sister for my father's death.

Aug 1, 2001

Grief Counseling

My mother and I entered a grief counseling program to help deal with the grief from my father's passing.

Aug 7, 2001

First cat

Got my first cat, Astro. We got him to cheer us up after my dad's death. It worked.

Jun 7, 2003

Finished Middle School

I graduated from Golightly Education Center. I went there for kindergarten-8th grade.

Aug 28, 2003

Began high school at CMA

Apr 5, 2005

First trip to Europe

First trip outside the country without my parents. I was lucky enough to take a trip with classmates and kids from different schools to Italy, Spain and France.

Nov 2, 2005